Summer is here; maybe not officially re: the calendar, but the hot weather took hold here in the Northeast for the past week. Fans and air conditioners have been whirring, lawns are being mowed, and gardens watered. Cold drinks sweat on their coasters, and lawn chairs are pulled out of the basement. Finally, we can use our grill every night if we want; meals are simple, produce is in season. Our rhubarb is about wilted, but our black raspberries are promising. It hit near 90 here this weekend, high humidity, and while it’s cooling down for the week ahead, I’m heading to Florida to bask in the sunshine for our tenth wedding anniversary, a mini-honeymoon of sorts, just me, Mike, books, and a beach.

Anyone who knows me knows I love summer and hot weather. I love writing summer books, too. Only one of my books so far, Virtually Perfect, has a traditional winter setting. Even my upcoming Christmas book, Talking in Your Sleep (Blaze, Dec ’07), is set in a heatwave in Southern California. Hot books, hot weather, how can I go wrong? All of the books I’m working on now – a summer Blaze anthology story for 2008, a Blaze proposal for 2008, and a single title paranormal – are set in the heavy heat of July and August, and it’s when I feel I can do my best writing.

Summer is also the best for reading, especially on a beach. Here’s my vacation reading list:

Sarah Mayberry Hot For Him
Kay Stockham His Perfect Woman
Julie Kenner The Prada Paradox
Charlaine Harris All Together Dead
And, if I can fit it in, JD Robb’s Born in Death

I'm developing a ritual of reading Sarah any time I fly, she keeps me distracted from the unnatural act of being 36,000 feet above the ground, which attests to how good her books are, as that's not an easy task. I’m finishing up Jamie’s Extreme Blaze Call Me Wicked tonight (great story!), and have Tawny’s Double Dare on tap. Come to think of it, maybe Double Dare will find it’s way on the plane as well.... I’ll need another good book to distract me on the plane trip back!

The rest of my summer TBR, in no particular order, is:

Megan Hart’s Broken, C.E. Murphy’s Coyote Dreams, Cynthia Reese’s The Baby Wait, Carrie Alexander’s The Ready Made Family, Karina Bliss, Mr. Irresistible, Kate Austin’s Last Night at the Half Moon, Mary Anne Wilson’s Allegra’s Homecoming, Eileen Wilks’s Bloodlines, Charlene Teglia’s Wild, Wild West, Annie West’s The Greek’s Convenient Mistress, Bronwyn Jameson’s Back in Fortune’s Bed, Cindi Meyer’s Fear of Falling, Joanne Rock’s Don’t Look Back, Laura Resnick’s Disappearing Nightly… and who knows what will be added to the pile as new books appear.

There are several new Blazes I want to get, Lisa Renee Jones’s debut in August, and Karen Foley’s upcoming book. Oh, and Sydney Croft’s Riding the Storm, among a throng of autumn books that will come later. I think Rachel Caine has another Weather Warden book I’ll seek out, as well, and waiting on new books from Patricia Briggs, my new addiction.

Just for fun, here's a picture of a rose-breasted grosbeak who parked on my feeder for a few days, though he's moved on now. Another summer treasure. Even better, how about the bare-chested men of Blaze? Take a peek to the right and see what I'm talking about -- yowsa! How can we not love summer?

Do you all look forward to summer as much as I do? What are your favorite things about summer? What’s in your summer reading pile? Are there any books or events you are looking forward to in particular?

I’ll be away from Wed 6/6-Sun 6/10 and unable to respond here on the blog, but share your summer thoughts with me and I’ll spring for one pre-ordered copy of my August Blaze Forbidden Fantasy, Pick Me Up for one lucky blogger to add to his or her summer reading pile. Since I won’t have a chance to sign it (it will come to you from the bookseller as soon as it’s available), I’ll mail along some signed book plates along with a few Florida goodies that I’ll buy on vacation, just for you! Remember, you have to be a registered user here at Cigars to qualify.

I'll be around today and tomorrow, but have a great week, everyone! Sam